Concerns over patient safety, poor regulation and the misleading use of the title ‘surgeon’ have prompted calls for hard-hitting reforms of the cosmetic surgery industry. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.
In recent years, the aesthetic or cosmetic surgery industry has come under close scrutiny – prompting calls for more stringent regulation of providers, as well as tighter controls to ensure the safety of medical devices used during surgical procedures. In 2010, the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death published a damning report highlighting poor regulation and safety standards within the industry. On the face of it,1 a review of the organisational structures surrounding the practice of cosmetic surgery, found that too many sites were offering procedures that were performed infrequently and, all too often, there was a ‘have a go’ approach to surgery.
Case for regulation
NCEPOD expressed particular concern that the more difficult procedures were being undertaken most rarely. Nearly 80% of centres undertaking breast reduction (which is relatively complex surgery) were undertaking such procedures on less than 20 occasions per year, while 84 centres performed between 1 and 10 breast reductions per year. The authors expressed concerns that surgical teams may not have the volume of cases to develop the experience and skills required to ensure optimum outcomes. They also highlighted some serious issues relating to perioperative safety:
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